The Magical Storm
by English-Foxlette
Summary: A storm is approaching, but not just any storm! What will Hogwarts and it's students do without magic for a few hours? Read and find out. Finally COMPLETE! Sorry in advance for the ending..definitely not one of my best --'
1. Chapter 1 News of the Storm

**I'm backkkkkkk! And with a new story idea! Thanks to all those who reviewed my other stories and gave me positive feedback! I really appreciate it! I'll try my hardest to make the chapters of this story long and juicy, and I'll really try to elaborate. If I'm not doing a good job of it, or I'm starting to rush it, TELL ME! Thanks so much for reading! Hope you like it! -English Foxlette.**

**Chapter 1**  
  
The top of the tower where Astronomy was usually held bustled with life. The professor wasn't there, so the students felt it was their duty to do whatever they felt. Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle were dropping Bertie Botts beans on a group of first years learning to fly below. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil sunbathed leisurely on the stony ground. Seamus Finnegan was talking excitedly with Dean Thomas about the upcoming match between the quidditch teams of Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Hermione Granger was content to sit and study for her History of Magic essay while Harry Potter and Ron Weasley entertained themselves with a game of wizards' chess. All the students seemed busy on that sunny day, hardly noticing the dark clouds encroaching from the East.  
  
The trapdoor burst open and Professor Sinisitra appeared with various scrolls under her arms. Her grin radiated good news and most everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their heads toward the witch with flowing dark brown hair and black robes. She set up one of her charts on an easel and turned to face the class.  
  
"Attention class!" she yelled over the voices of the students. She looked about making sure she had everyone's attention.  
  
"Miss Brown. Miss Patil. Please sit up and pay attention!" She said, a slight tinge of annoyance in her voice. The two mentioned girls sat up with a groan and sat on the cushions they had been resting on.  
  
"Now then...Today is a very special day class! Does anyone know why?" Professor Sinistra asked with a smile. Everyone looked at each other before turning to stare at Hermione, who just blushed.  
  
"What? I don't even know!" she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. Her classmates around her murmured.  
  
"So for the first time, the know it all actually doesn't know it all," an icy voice from across the tower remarked.  
  
"I don't see you raising your hand Malfoy!" Hermione quipped. Malfoy smirked and turned back to his buddies.  
  
"Well since no one seems to know," Professor Sinistra said, purposely interrupting the exchange, "Tonight is a very rare occurrence indeed. Tonight, for the first time in four hundred and twelve years, there will be a magical storm!"  
  
At the mention of a magical storm, Hermione's hand shot into the air.  
  
"Now I remember! A magical storm by definition is a storm that carries so much magnetism in the protons and electrons that it cancels out all other forces, like magic, right Professor?"  
  
"Correct Miss Granger! Five points for Gryffindor!" Professor Sinistra exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. Hermione glanced over at Malfoy's blonde head and smirked. He just glared icily back.  
  
"If it cancels out all magic, then aren't we susceptible to attack?" Ron questioned fearfully.  
  
"This is a very good question Mr. Weasley. Does any one know why we are safe?" Professor Sinistra asked. She strongly believed in quizzing the class on these things by merely holding question and answer discussions such as these. Hermione raised her hand, shaking it excitedly from side to side.  
  
"Anyone else besides Miss Granger?" the professor asked, looking around. She was about the give up when she saw a movement to her right.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy!"  
  
"While the storm covers an area, no magic can be performed in that area. However, no magic from outside the area can affect anything in the area while the storm continues. Thus it creates a barrier, keeping everything in, which isn't always a good thing..." Draco drawled, still keeping his cool appearance leaning against the side of the tower.   
  
"Very good! Five points for Slytherin!" Now it was Draco's turn to smirk. Hermione just rolled her eyes and went back to paying attention to Professor Sinistra's lecture about the ups and downs of the storm.   
  
"Professor Dumbledore will inform you of where to go during the storm, seeing as how most areas will be off limits for a few hours. The stair cases will be firmly planted in place and all students will be 'locked' in their dormitories for the few hours that the storm goes on. You needn't worry. Food will be placed in the common rooms and the facilities will remain in tact. Just think of it as a few hours to spend studying and having fun with members of your house!" she explained.   
  
At that moment the sun had settled completely above them and no shadow appeared on the sundial next to the professor. This was the cue that class was over. The students collected their things and filed down the staircase and proceeded to go to lunch.   
  
"Once again, Hermione, you never cease to surprise me!" Harry said throwing an arm around Hermione's shoulders.   
  
"Yeah! How did you know all that stuff about the magical storm?" Ron chimed in, his hands stretched behind his head.   
  
"There was a segment on it in 'Hogwarts, a History.' This will be the second magical storm Hogwarts has seen. You should read that book sometime, Ron, it's good. I think Harry is borrowing it right now, aren't you Harry?" Hermione said.   
  
"Yup, I'm up to the part about Armando Dippet," Harry said, happy that he finally knew something about what Hermione was talking about.  
  
"Armando who?"  
  
"He was headmaster in the 1940's. It actually is an interesting read, Ron," Harry said sheepishly.   
  
"Am I the only one not nose deep in a book?" Ron asked defeatedly.   
  
"Maybe you should start reading Weasel King. Who knows, you might just end up the bright one among your family. Tell me, do you all still live in one bedroom?" Malfoy asked sneering. He had been walking behind them listening to the whole conversation, of course, with Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him.   
  
"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry demanded, keeping his hold on Hermione's shoulders.   
  
"Aww. How cute, Potty has a girlfriend. You deserve each other, a mudblood and a muggle-born. I'd hate to see your kids though," Draco joked maliciously. As if on cue Crabbe and Goyle burst out laughing. Draco smirked and snapped as they pushed through three friends below him.   
  
Ron, who was now blushing up to his eyes, didn't say anything but glared after Draco. Harry had since loosened his grip on Hermione and dropped his arm off completely.   
  
"Oh boys, don't look so angry. Sure Draco is a jerk, but that doesn't mean you have to stoop to his level. Now, let's just go have a nice lunch," Hermione suggested.   
  
"You're just lucky that Malfoy doesn't make fun of you," Ron said bitterly.   
  
"True. I find it a bit unnerving. That was the first time in two months he's said anything bad of me. I find it discerning..." Hermione trailed off.   
  
"Who cares? It's Malfoy. Let's just go grab a bite to eat," Harry said impatiently. His stomach was starting to hurt. He hadn't had much for breakfast. Once he saw the sight of porridge for breakfast the memories of the Dursley's filled him. That was all he had eaten for his entire 6th year of life. Harry shuddered before starting to walk down the halls.   
  
**xoxo Page Break! oxox**  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron managed to pushed their way through the people and sat down next to Seamus, Lavendar, Parvati, and Dean.   
  
"Isn't this exciting? A magical storm tonight! Ooh, it'd be the perfect time for two lovers to meet and you know...catch up," Lavender squealed while she winked at the boys sitting across from her. Seamus snorted and almost choked on his pumpkin juice.  
  
Parvati just nudged her and continued buttering her roll. Dumbledore could be heard clearing his throat at the front of the hall. Every head in the hall turned to face the headmaster.   
  
"Tonight, we have a rare occurrence. A magical storm is on it's way from the East. You can ask your professors or heads of house for the specifics, but a magical storm knocks out all magic in the area. So for a few hours, approximately from nine this evening until two tomorrow morning, we shall be without magic. Fear not, for all magic that is attempting to be force its way into the school shall be cancelled out as well. So as soon as you have finished dinner, you will be asked to travel and reside in your dormitories. Any wanderers will be asked to enter the nearest class room and stay there for the remainder of the storm. These storms are notorious for being dreadfully violent; high winds, lots of rain, and such. So be careful this evening. You may now continue with your meal," Dumbledore calmly explained before seating himself at the table next to Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick.

"Sounds like these storms are dangerous!" Ron said in between bites of turkey.

"They are. The last time this happened at Hogwarts, it rained 4 inches of rain in one hour, nearly uprooted the Whomping Willow, and left 4 feet of snow when it was over," explained Hermione, "Have you gotten to that part yet, Harry?"

Harry didn't answer. He was too busy staring at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was currently doing an impression of someone, most likely a girl, since he waived around his wand and put a hand to his cheek before he and his comrades busted out laughing.

"Harry?" Hermione leaned towards him.

"Hey mate, you alright there?" Ron asked. Harry blinked and shook his head.

"Oh just watching Malfoy being a jerk," Harry said, merely shrugging. Ron and Hermione turned around. Ron tried to see what Malfoy was doing, but he had started eating, thus giving no interest to Ron. Hermione however, lingered in her gaze. At that moment Draco looked up and caught her eye. They stared at each other for a minute before Hermione looked down at her lap.

"Just Malfoy being jerky Malfoy," Ron said taking a bite out of a chicken wing. Harry nodded thoughtfully as he stuffed a spoon full of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

Hermione shook her head the clear it and reached for a bowl of chocolate pudding. Unfortunately, her hand collided with someone elses.

"Oh sorry, you take it," Hermione said automatically, looking up and seeing Dean Thomas.

"Nah, you take it bookworm, you need the energy for studying," Dean said with a smile, nudging the bowl closer to Hermione who smiled and took it.   
  
"Anything else we need to know about the storm?" Ron questioned sarcastically.

"Let me see," Hermione said before hoisting out a brown leather-bound book from Harry's pile of books. She pushed the food to the side and flipped through the pages.

"I was kidding Hermione! Sheesh!" Ron said, smacking himself on the head.

"That's what you get Ron," Harry teased. Ron just rolled his eyes at Harry who smiled back. Hermione knew the boys weren't interested in more information about the storms, but she sure was. She flipped through the pages, feeding herself chocolate pudding without looking up as she went along.   
  
After a minute she felt someone's stare. She looked up, Harry and Ron were caught in a battle of who would have the last chicken wing. Nearly everyone else had left. With the spoon handle hanging from her mouth, Hermione glanced over to the Slytherin table. Brown met silver as she once again met Draco's piercing gaze. Hermione immediately dropped her eyes back down to her book and removed the spoon from her mouth.

'Why is he staring at me?! Is there something on my face?' Hermione thought. Slowly picking up the spoon again she looked into it's reflective surface. There was nothing out of the ordinary, so why was he staring? Hermione was afraid of seeing his eyes again so she spoke.

"Well, I'm full. What say we go outside. It's a lovely day. You boys can run around and I'll check out a couple books about the storm!" Hermione suggested brightly.

"Or how about we _all _go out and run around. I don't know how you stay in shape Hermione. All you do is study!" Harry said exasperatedly.

"A woman never reveals her secrets!" Hermione said coolly before succumbing to a giggle-fest.

"Either way, let's get out of here. The snotty Slytherins haven't mentioned me yet, and I don't want to wait around until they do!" Ron commented.

"You got a point. Ready Hermione?" Harry asked whilst pushing his chair in. "Yeah I'm ready. Just let me pick up these books," Hermione said.

While she was standing back up with her books in her arms she shot a quick glance at the Slytherin table. Draco wasn't there. Hermione inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 'What is up with me today? And what is with Draco? Why does he keep staring? It's unnerving and rude!' Hermione thought angrily.

She glanced around again and saw Harry and Ron beckoning to her from the door. Hermione picked up her speed and managed to catch up to them just as they reached the pendulum. She smiled at her friends warmly and walked out onto the gravel path. The sun felt warm against her skin, but she still felt a little unnerved by Draco's stare. There was something about the stare, but Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on it...  
  
**Hope you like it! Now please review! Tell me if I should change anything. Thankkkkk youuuuu glomps (Oh and for those who don't know what a glomp is; it's kinda an anime thing, but basically it's just a really cute hug, like, no deep emotions, just a cheery friendly smitten-y hug )**


	2. Chapter 2 Trapped in the Storm

**Took long enough, eh? Well at "long last" here's chapter two! Please review when you're done reading! Thanks a bunch!**

Chapter 2  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked leisurely over the wooden bridge at the front of the school. Fellow students swooped and soared over the quidditch field in the distance. Owls could be seen bringing incoming and outgoing mail. Not like the trio cared, they just wanted to go out and have a little fun in the sun.  
  
Ron dropped his books in the shade of a particularly large oak tree and plopped himself down. Harry and Hermione followed suit, although Hermione was much more careful with her supplies. Harry and Ron leaned back and laid stretched out on the ground, closing their eyes in order to get the maximum coolness of the grass beneath their skin. Hermione only watched her friends with a smile before lugging out a heavy book and flipping through it. Ron opened one eye in annoyance.  
  
"Are you really going to study right now?" he asked.  
  
"I just want to go over this one period in my history of magic book before I goof off," Hermione said defending herself. Ron closed his eyes again and sighed; nothing could tear Hermione away from her books.  
  
Minutes passed by with the only sounds being the boys' soft breathing, pages turning, and the wind whistling through the grass. The sun was beginning to get blocked out by sparse clouds and every so often a gust would kick up and threaten to turn Hermione's pages for her. But she didn't care, she was content to sit with her friends and read the day away. Even if they weren't saying anything ('Most likely asleep,' she thought) she still enjoyed their companionship.  
  
Heavy footsteps approached, disturbing the calm that had been cast over the trio. Hermione glanced up and noticed a large, hairy man walking towards them with a jar under each arm.  
  
"Hello Hagrid!" Hermione called out. Harry and Ron sat up and smiled.  
  
"'Ello Hermione! Ron! Harry! How're you lads doing?" Hagrid asked jovially.  
  
"We're good. How're you?" Harry said.  
  
"What's with the jars?" Ron asked, pulling himself up from the ground and moving closer. The jars contained half inch-long electric blue insects with stubby stingers.  
  
"Oh, these are-"  
  
"Billywigs! Hagrid how did you get these? I thought they were native to Australia?"   
Hermione exclaimed in fascination.  
  
"Amazing things you can find in the side streets of Diagon Alley," Hagrid laughed.  
  
"So what're you doing with 'em?" said Ron.  
  
"Well, I'm not too sure about the stability of my house, and I've way too many creatures in that there shack to risk! The storm could rip of my roof and take all these little buggers away!" said Hagrid.  
  
"Oh I see," said Ron.  
  
"Where are you going to put them?" asked Harry.  
  
"Filch found me an empty room to put 'em. Say, would kids like to help me move them? There's only a few more creatures to take inside," Hagrid said.  
  
"Sure! I'll help!" declared Harry.  
  
"Yeah, I'll help too," Ron said.  
  
"As will I!" chimed in Hermione.  
  
"Good, good! Follow me and we can go get the Doxies. Ah yes, can't forget about the mokes either. We also gotta take out the nifflers and the blast-ended skrewts!" Hagrid explained. The three students shuddered at the mention of the blast-ended skrewts. They had had their fill of the creatures for a life time.  
  
Trekking back to the little house, Hagrid pushed open the door roughly. The large fire that usually blazed in the corner was reduced to embers. Hagrid obviously hadn't rekindled it recently. Most of the shelves where glass jars and habitats were had been emptied, leaving the cottage looking desolate and desserted. Fang slumbered loudly on the rug in front of Hagrid's massive armchair.  
  
Hagrid walked over to the shelves and handed the jars and cases to the students one by one.  
  
"a'right Harry, you can take the Doxies. Just watch your fingers, they got a nasty bite!" reminded Hagrid as he handed an oversized jar to Harry. Harry didn't have to be reminded though. Clearing out Doxies from the drapes of Sirius's house had been quite a task.  
  
"And 'ere Ron, you can take these two skrewts," Hagrid said. Ron held the glass box nervously. He hated blast-ended skrewts.  
  
'I just hope they don't find a way out,' Ron thought, gulping as he watched the two creatures inside scuttle about angrily.  
  
"Last but not least, Hermione you can take the nifflers," Hagrid said before placing the box in Hermione's waiting arms. Immediately the nifflers started clawing at the side of the box that was pressed up against her chest. Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise.  
  
"Oh they just want your necklace. No need to worry. The dastardly little things steal anything shiny that they find!" Hagrid explained. Hermione nodded in understanding, touching her time turner necklace with one hand as she held the box in the other. Hagrid picked up the large jar of Billywigs and motioned for the kids to follow him.  
  
"Come on kids, let's get inside before the storm hits," Hagrid said. "Come Fang!" he called after to the black boarhound.  
  
The four of them filed out of the hut, followed closely by the dog, while Hagrid closed the door behind them. Fang sat lazily back down in the pumpkin patch and watched the humans walk away. Wandering back up the hill, Hermione looked up at the sky. It was getting ominously dark, and it wasn't even that late yet!  
  
"Why is it so dark this early? Professor Dumbledore said it wouldn't hit until about 9? It's only...6:30?! Wow, time sure passed by in a hurry," Hermione said shocked, glancing down at her necklace.  
  
"These storms are known for their peculiar timing. You could have the best wizards in the world predict it would hit at one time, and it'll hit hours before or after. Well, either way we better hightail it inside!" Hagrid said, trying to hurry the group inside before it started to pour.  
  
**xox Page Break! xox**  
  
The four headed inside the castle and up to the third floor. After passing through two doors, the empty room Hagrid was using to store was the second on the left. Hagrid pushed the door open and instantly candles lit themselves, illuminating the room. The entire room was filled with various creatures, and items to take care of these creatures. Ron noticed a rather large supply of Doxy anti-venom and shuddered.  
  
"Set the blast-ended skrewts over there in the corner Ron, Hermione and Harry, set the nifflers and Doxies over there by the pixies. Right there next to the sink," Hagrid directed. Harry and Hermione set down the animal confinements and stopped to look at the pixies. The electric blue things smiled evilly and clawed at their container. Hermione grimaced and led Harry away.  
  
"Thanks a bunch kids, I think I got all of them. Just in time too," Hagrid commented looking out a window as a flash of light traveled across the sky and the rain started falling softly, but definitely picking up strength.  
  
"Shouldn't you get back to your hut, Hagrid?" Ron asked.  
  
"What? And get all waterlogged. That roof I got is the shabbiest one around. No sir, I'm bunking here tonight," Hagrid replied.  
  
"Wait, then what about Fang?" Hermione cried out. Hagrid smacked his head.  
  
"Bah! I didn't notice that blasted coward dog was still sleeping on the rug!"  
  
"We need to go get thim!" Harry said to Ron.  
  
"I'll get him! I forgot my book anyways!" Hermione offered, already half-way through the door.  
  
"Wait! Hermione!" Harry cried, running to the door. He the only thing he a was the disappearance of her robes behind the closing door.  
  
Hermione ran down the stairs looking about wildly. Students were talking wildly in the entrance hall, and slowly making their way to the staircase. She saw her opening and pushed her way through, slipping out of the Entrance Hall. She finally got around the incoming students and ran uninhibited across the bridge towards Hagrid's house. Hermione had to admit, she loved the sound of feet running across wooden planks, so she smiled all the way across the bridge.  
  
Taking a sharp left Hermione ran down the hill towards the hut, passing by the tree they had been resting under. She looked about, before spotting it. Swooping down and picking it up she continued running through the rain.  
  
"Fang! Here boy! Where are you?" Hermione yelled, holding up her hand trying to shield her eyes. In the darkness of the cabbage patch under an overhang Hermione saw some movement. The black dog stood up and looked at Hermione before ambling its way over.  
  
"Come on Fang! We have to get inside the school before the doors lock!" Hermione said, tugging at the dogs' collar. Unfortunately the dog had other plans and refused to move faster than he wanted to. Hermione half- dragged, half-carried the dog up the hill until she saw three figures at the head of the bride.  
  
"Malfoy? What're you doing out here?" Hermione called unto them. Draco spun around and stared down at the wet girl dragging a somewhat limp animal by her side.  
  
"Getting out of the rain, what does it look like!" Draco replied.  
  
"Could I get a bit of help here? Fang doesn't want to budge!" Hermione yelled. Draco stared at her calmly. Crabbe pulled at Draco's robes.  
  
"We gotta get outta here!" he said. Draco continued to stare at Hermione before turning his attention to his comrades.  
  
"Crabbe, go get that dog and get inside. Goyle, keep going," Draco commanded as he went forward to help. Goyle nodded and ran down the bridge. Crabbe bent down and picked up the dog. Fang looked around and licked Crabbe's face. Draco reached an arm out to Hermione as she climbed up the now slippery and muddy hill. But poor Hermione, not one for balance, slipped in the mud and started falling. She closed her eyes and tried to brace herself for impact.  
  
But the impact never came. She opened her eyes and looked up. Draco had run forward and caught her. Hermione blushed a little before standing upright. The rain by now was pouring down on them, and Hermione's hair, for once, was straight! She looked up at him through her mussed mane and watched him stare coldly back at her. His usually slickly gelled hair looked a little stringy and a few blonde pieces hung over his eyes, dripping water down his cheeks. Hermione blushed harder, although she didn't know why. Draco just glared.  
  
"Would you hurry up Granger? I don't want to get stuck outside during this storm!" Draco complained.  
  
"You think I do? Let's go," Hermione said, pushing past him. The pair ran down the bridge side by side and saw they were closing up on Crabbe. Ahead of them, the gigantic metal door to the castle was beginning to close.  
  
"Hurry up! We have to get inside before it locks!" Hermione cried fearfully.  
  
Crabbe was still running ahead of them. As they neared the door, they noticed the space between was growing smaller and smaller.  
  
"Crabbe get in there!" Draco yelled as he pushed Crabbe through the crack. After Crabbe had passed through the gap became even smaller.  
  
"We can't fit! We're not going to make it!" Hermione yelled as the door closed completely. All the various locks could be heard locking from within. Draco and Hermione panted and yelled and banged on the door, but they both knew it was too late. They were stranded outside in the middle of a storm...

**Oooh. What will happen next? You'll just have to wait and see! . Tune in next time for...The Magical Storm! Chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3 One Hour In

**Ooh. Time for chapter three! Sorry it took so long. For some reason the servers were too busy to let me update. O well, problem solved. Here's the next installment. Please read and review!**  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Hermione leaned her back against the cold metal door and put her face in her hands. She was stuck outside during a magical storm with the most pompous, arrogant guy in the school. Could the day get any better?  
  
Draco was still pounding on the door demanding entrance.  
"You do know that we're stranded outside now, right?" Hermione said through her hands. Draco growled in reply.  
  
'OK, deep breaths. The storm is only going to last a couple of hours...I hope,' thought Hermione. 'We just need to find shelter and we should be good,'  
  
Draco sat down on the ground with his back to the door as well.  
  
"Why me?" Draco asked outloud, shivering as the wind started to pick up. Hermione snorted.  
  
"Cram it, Granger. So since they can't let us in, let's just stay here until the storm passes," Draco suggested.  
  
"No! We can't!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes wide with terror.  
  
"Why not?!" Draco questioned indignantly.  
  
"Metal attracts lightning. This door right here would act like a giant conductor. If a bolt of lightning hit it, we'd be killed!"  
  
"What're the odds of that?"  
  
"I don't want to find out..."  
  
"Fine," Draco sighed. "Let's go try to find somewhere. What about that oaf Hagrid's hut?"  
  
"Locked...Oh! What about one of the greenhouses!" Hermione suggested brightly. Draco nodded and led the way. Another bolt of lightning crackled across the dreary canvas of the sky. Hermione clutched at her robes fearfully. A normal storm was bad enough, who knew what could happen in a magical storm?  
  
The wind whipped the rain into their faces as they crossed the wooden bridge once more. Draco led fearlessly, his robes swirling about him and his bangs blowing idly in the wind. Even at a time like this Draco managed to look good.  
  
Hermione on the other hand, wasn't faring that well. Her soaked robes smelled like wet dog, and were ripped from where Fang's claws had caught them. Parts of her hair stuck to her face and neck while the rest blew in the wind, tangling itself mercilessly. Hermione groaned aloud at the thought of spending hours detangling it. Draco heard the groan and turned around and raised an eyebrow. Hermione kept her head down and Draco kept walking.  
  
Hermione glanced to her right. Through the wooden pillars of the bridge she saw the waters below. They swirled and crashed on the rocks on the sides, reaching higher and higher up the natural wall as the water level rose. Hermione walked steadily behind Draco, but kept her eyes on the water. It swirled in dark colors before exploding into foamy white. Hermione was brought back to reality when she collided into Draco's back. But Draco didn't say anything about it.  
  
"On three, we run. Got it?" he said. Hermione nodded.  
  
"One....Two....Three!" the two took off, Draco leading but Hermione trailing close behind. As if the storm knew what the teens were up to, it started pouring harder. Each raindrop felt like a marble dropping against their skin. The path was gravel luckily, and wasn't too slippery. It crunched under their footsteps and sprayed backwards as they propelled themselves forward.  
  
The path went around the side of the school. Hermione looked up and saw the towers through the rain. The faint light of candles could be seen through the windows, and Hermione imagined sitting in front of a toasty fire in the Gryffindor common room sipping hot chocolate in between her best friends with a blanket spread across her lap.  
  
'Well that's not what's gonna happen, so stop thinking like that and keep running,' a voice inside Hermione's voice dictated. Hermione set her jaw and ran a little faster.  
  
From the side of the school a tall wall appeared and the tops of the glass greenhouses could be seen. An opening in the wall could be seen and Hermione and Draco raced towards it.  
  
'Just a little bit further,' Hermione encouraged herself. As she ran she noted a huge spike in Fahrenheit. It was getting colder by the minute...  
  
Draco dashed behind the opening in the wall and Hermione ran close behind. The tree where she had once gathered fire seeds from sat there like a normal tree, not even smouldering. She looked around and saw Draco furiously trying to open the door to one of the greenhouses. He finally used his shoulder and bashed it in, and motioned to Hermione to follow him.  
  
Hermione ran in as Draco shoved the door closed. He leaned heavily on the door catching his breath, which fumed out of his mouth and fogged up the glass door. Hermione had bent down with her hands on her knees, panting heavily. After a moment of heavy breathing she looked up at him shivering.  
  
"Well, at least we have shelter now," Hermione said smiling. Draco only nodded.  
Over the course of the next few minutes, they became painfully aware of a few things. They were currently in the greenhouse wear Professor Sprout stores the Mandrakes, while the storm raged on outside. The temperature was rapidly decreasing, and there wasn't any food to be found. The only positive fact of their discoveries were that, since the Mandrakes weren't pulled up yet, they were silent.  
  
Around fifteen minutes of silence passed by and each remained where they were. Hermione was looking outside and watching the damage, while Draco still stood by the door, shivering. Hermione looked up and saw the blonde's icy gaze fixed on something outside. She noticed how he was shivering and still dripping water. She examined her own robes and grimaced. Slowly she untied them and shrugged it completely off.  
  
"What're you doing?" Draco said.  
  
"Taking off my robes. They're too wet to do much good to either of us. You should take yours off too," Hermione said as she spread her robe out on a table. Draco stared at the brunette below him before following suit. After he dropped his robes haphazardly and loosening his tie around his neck he went back to staring out the window, his arms folded across his chest, trying to retain warmth.  
  
Hermione had long ago lost interest in what Malfoy was doing, so she occupied herself in seeing what other plants were in their greenhouse. She spotted a vibrant green plant with what appeared to be a spiney mouth. Wracking her brain for a minute she realized what it was.  
  
"A Venus fly trap!" Hermione mumbled in fascination. Draco's ear twitched as he picked up what she was saying. Hermione leaned closer. It looked almost dead so said as she craned her neck to look around it. It didn't move so she thought it was safe to get even closer. She examined one of its leaves and stroked it in between her thumb and index finger. Her hair got free from her ear and hung in her face as well as her tie leaving her chest to hang in front of the plant, suspended from her neck.  
  
-SNAP-  
  
Hermione was suddenly all too aware of something pulling at her neck. She tried to scream but the plant had a strong hold on her tie, choking her, so all she managed to do was squeak out a strangled sound. Draco's eyes flashed towards her and saw Hermione clutching at her neck.  
  
Draco dashed over and saw the plant had a tight hold on Hermione's red and gold Gryffindor tie. He pulled on the tie trying to give Hermione some slack to breath, but it didn't work. Hermione was slowly being strangled and that damned Venus fly trap wasn't going to budge.  
  
Throwing caution to the wind, Draco gripped the thick stem of the plant and started to bend it. Green juices gushed from the side as it started to split open. With a twist of his hands, he had snapped off the head of the plant completely. Hermione flew backwards, still clutching her neck. Draco scrambled down onto his knees next to her and helped her loosen it.  
  
Hermione coughed and gagged, taking in huge gulps of air one at a time. Draco leaned over her watching her carefully. Another emotion Hermione couldn't identify flashed across his silver eyes. After a minute or two of coughing, Hermione sat up with her hand on her chest.  
  
"Thank you," she breathed.  
  
"You should watch what you're doing. You should've known that it was a dangerous plant. We both know we studied it last year in Sprout's class," Draco replied coolly, turning his back on her and hauling himself to sit on a table.  
  
"Sorry..." Hermione muttered.  
  
Pretty soon Hermione's body started to cool down again.  
  
'Must be 45 degrees in here,' Hermione thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Out of boredom she glanced down at her time turner necklace (AN: which conveniently displays the time). Already she had almost been killed by a plant, and this had only been in the first hour.  
  
'One down, a lot more to go,' she thought sadly as she closed her eyes and curled up in a ball on the floor. Her breath puffed around her as she trembled.  
  
'Lend me strength to survive this,' she silently prayed as she screwed her eyes shut.

**Ooh. It's only one hour into the storm. What else might happen? And just WHAT has Draco been watching? (Still debating on whether to go into that or not...if I do, then I have to make something up, and do I really want to do that? lol) Please review and thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4 To Build a Fire

**Alright, before you read, let me just clear up a few things. 1) I goofed. FluffyTheFlammableKitten pointed out that the Whomping Willow was planted at the Marauder's time at Hogwarts and wouldn't have been there 412 years ago. So please excuse that. 2) Yes, there is a wooden bridge...well...at least in the video game. And yes, there are a few things I've taken from the video games. Sorry bout that too. and 3) the page breaks are just like...a space. Cus not everything is simultaneous. Just look at the pagebreaks as passages of time. OK, if you have any more questions feel free to ask! Now! Onto the fourth installment!  
**  
Chapter 4  
  
Hermione had given up touching anything after what happened with the plant life. With her luck she'd accidentally pull up a Mandrake and kill both herself and Draco. So currently she was in somewhat of a fetal position on the ground trying to retain body heat. Draco was sitting with his head tucked into his chest with his eyes closed, sitting on a table across the room.  
  
Hermione rubbed her arms and tried to doze off. Right when she felt as though she was on the verge of sleep, or at least a daydream, she was alerted by a sound from across the room. Hermione peered through one eye to see that Draco had stood up and was pacing back and forth. He tested his cloak to see how dry it was.  
  
'Judging by his reaction it mustn't be dry yet,' Hermione thought closing her eyes again. She soon became aware of someone's stare across her back.  
  
'Must be staring at my bra or something. Everyone knows white under white plus water don't mix well,' Hermione thought, shifting slightly on the ground.  
  
Even after she shifted she knew he hadn't looked away. She didn't really care about her shirt at this point, and her skirt wasn't revealing anything.  
  
'So what the bloody hell is he staring at?' she thought angrily.  
  
"Come here," he mumbled through his tremblingly cold lips.  
  
"What?" Hermione said, shocked that he had said something.  
  
"I said, come here," he repeated.  
  
"Why?" Hermione said eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"Just come here!" Draco said impatiently. Hermione shrugged and stood up and walked over to him. She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side.  
  
"Well?" Hermione asked.  
  
In a flash of white and white, Draco was on top of Hermione.  
  
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" Hermione yelled, thinking Draco was trying to attack her.  
  
"Hold still, Granger!" Draco said through gritted teeth. The girl relaxed when she felt two arms encircle her waist and stop moving.  
  
"What?" Hermione squeaked into his chest.  
  
"Body heat," he murmured.  
  
"Oh..." she replied, her own arms encircling the blonde boy's waist.  
  
"You're warm," Hermione commented. She felt his chest lurch with a snort.  
  
"Thanks I guess," Draco smirked. Hermione cuddled deeper into his arms. The vibrations of his voice felt good.  
  
"What do you we do now?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Mmm...not sure," Draco replied.  
  
"Should we try and make a fire?"  
  
"How? We can't use magic, remember?" Draco reminded the girl in his arms. It was Hermione's turn to snort now.  
  
"There are other ways to make fire besides magic," she said.  
  
"How?"  
  
"We'll need some wood, and two rocks, maybe some metal," Hermione said.  
  
"Mmm, ok," Draco mumbled, closing his eyes.  
  
"Umm...it might be better if we split up for a minute," she reminded Draco, who still held a firm hold around her waist. Draco instantly let go, and coughed a little as he blushed. Hermione smiled.  
  
'He's cute when he blushes,' she thought warmly.  
  
"Now let's see, are there any metal items, like tools?" Hermione said as she scanned the room.  
  
"Oh! There's a trowel over there by those Mandrakes!" Malfoy said.  
  
He walked across the room and picked it up, waving it in the air triumphantly before returning and setting it on the table.  
  
"Now we need wood...and a lot of it," Hermione said. There was plenty of wood in the room, the problem was, it was all in furniture form; chairs, tables, etc.  
  
"Should we break up the tables and chairs?" Draco said.  
  
"I suppose we must. Let's start with that chair over there," Hermione directed.  
  
Draco lifted the chair up and carried it over to where Hermione was. He set it down upside down and stood there for a moment, pondering on how to efficiently break it. Placing his foot on the seat of the chair, he pulled the pegs of the back of it out, one by one until the chair looked like a stool. Hermione picked up the pegs and assembled them in a pile.  
  
"Keep breaking up stuff, I'll go try to find a rock or something," Hermione said.  
  
"Be careful, don't get eaten by another Venus Fly trap!" Draco called after her. Hermione blushed at the joke, but puffed out her chest and kept looking.  
  
Hermione walked by the tall growths growing on the center tables. They were huge and green and lush, but odorless as far as she could tell. A plastic flap hung from the ceiling, and Hermione lifted it and ducked under it, making sure not to touch the Abyssinian Shrivelfig. She raised her head and her eyes grew wide.   
  
Umbrella sized flowers hung from the ceiling in an assortment of warm colors. Reds, pinks, oranges, yellows! Each flower petal must have been a half a foot in diameter! It was absolutely lovely! Remembering her mission, Hermione cleared her head and looked about for more tools. Maybe she would be able to find another trowel.   
  
Hermione sifted through piles of fertilizer and empty pots, searching behind or inside each one, hoping for a lucky break. Everyone now and then she'd jump back in shock when she crossed paths with a spider, but it usually glared at her and scurried on its way. Hermione was just about to give up when she saw an old tool box out of the corner of her eye. Inside there was a hammer, some nails...and another trowel!   
  
Hermione couldn't believe her luck as she happily skipped back towards the front of the greenhouse, trowel in hand. She ducked under the plastic canvas once more and smiled at the sight she saw. Draco had his sleeves rolled up, and he was pulling the leg off a chair. He had a very light sweat sheen across his forehead and Hermione watched with rapt attention as he mustered up one giant tug. He fell backwards a bit, but caught himself before he fell.   
  
Draco wiped his brow with the back of his hand, throwing the chair leg on the growing stack of wood. He looked up and saw Hermione, then glanced at the other trowel in her hand.   
  
"Alright, we have the tools, now what do we do?" Draco said.   
  
"Now, we must strike the metal parts of the trowels together to try and form a spark," said Hermione as she picked up the two trowels and began to hit them together slowly. Draco sat down opposite her and watched.  
  
Hermione's movements weren't slow, but they weren't quick enough to do any good. Draco decided to wait a few more minutes before he intervened. It was fascinating to watch the brunette beauty try so hard at something so physical. Draco blinked hard. No, he wouldn't think that right now.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione's arms and hands were getting tired from the monotonous movements. She paused and looked up at Draco and smiled sheepishly. Draco rolled his eyes and held out his hands, motioning for her to hand the instruments to him. Hermione grinned again and gladly handed the trowels over to him.  
  
"It's not –strike- that –strike- hard!" Draco said in between hard thrusts.  
  
"You just got to make the movements fast and hard," he said. His mind reacted and he looked up mischievously, seeing if Hermione had caught the innuendo. Obviously she had, for she started at her hands in her lap, blushing furiously. Draco wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing so it was no surprise what happened next.  
  
"Ack!" Draco hissed, dropping the trowels and holding his left hand.  
  
"Are you alright?!" Hermione asked automatically.  
  
"Yeah, just cut myself," he said, revealing his hand, which was bleeding profusely from the gaping across his palm. Hermione winced at the sight. She looked around and saw some rags sitting behind a mandrake. She got up and carefully removed the cloth and shook the dirt off of it. Now what was she going to use to clean it?  
  
'Of course you dimwit! The rain! I guess I've gotten so used to the sound I sort of tuned it out!' Hermione thought.  
  
She walked over and pushed the door open a crack and stuck her arm out. She could feel the gigantic water droplets landed on her forearm, tickling it as they ran around it and dripped of the underside of her arm. She extended her left arm out further, waiting for it to get damp, as she modestly held her skirt down with her right hand.  
  
When the rag was sufficiently damp, she removed her arm from the rain and closed the door. She kneeled down next to Draco who nursed her arm in his lap, and gently swabbed the blood off of it. She handed it to Draco to clean while she brought out the other rag. She nudged his hand a little and gave herself room to tie it. Folding it evenly she laid it out across the wound and tied it near the back of his hand.  
  
"You really should be more careful," Hermione said as she double knotted it.  
  
"Yeah I know," Draco conceded.  
  
"I suppose that puts a damper on our plans," Hermione sighed dejectedly.  
  
"No. I'll pay more attention this time. I just need a good clean strike and I should have it!"  
  
"Fine, fine. Have it your way. But just be more careful," she said.  
  
"I will, mom," he joked.  
  
Draco picked up the trowels and spread them apart. He concentrated on one of them, reeling the other backwards. In one strong swoop the trowels collided and a spark leapt into the wood.  
  
"Yes!" Hermione cried, clapping her hands together happily.  
  
"Wait! Don't move!" Draco said, putting his hands out to signal her to keep her joviality to a minimum. He slowly got down on his hands and knees and knelt before the fire. Blowing ever so softly, Draco began to stoke the fire. After a couple of soft blows, the fire sprang from log to log, and soon a small blaze began to burn!  
  
"Hah! Guess who just created a fire?" Draco said proudly. He stood up from where he was and paraded around. Hermione didn't readily join in.  
  
"One problem, Einstein," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh? And what's that?" Draco said, determined not to let the girl below him dash his pride.  
  
"The smoke. Where's it going to go? We need to ventilate it otherwise we'll die of asphyxiation. We'll run out of oxygen in a little while!"  
  
"Let's just crack open the door then,"  
  
"It's not that simple. The wind would blow in and blow it out, or water could flood in and drown it," she said.  
  
"Fine...Let's just crack open a window then!" Draco said. Hermione looked around. She hadn't thought of that.  
  
"Oh, right then. Let's open the windows; but only a little!" Hermione warned.  
  
"I know, I know," Draco rolled his eyes as he bent the windows out. As soon as a fair amount of windows had been opened, Draco and Hermione sat around the small fire.  
  
"What now?" Draco asked.  
  
"Now...we wait" Hermione said, rubbing her shoulders as she stared blankly into the fire.   
  
**Alright! That's it for chapter four! Please review. FYI for all my fantastic readers: I'll be going on vacation from 7/8 - 7/24. I'm not sure if I'll have internet access where I am, but you can bet your butt I'll have an assortment of stories to post when I return! Ok! Until the next chapter!  
-Love, the English-Foxlette**


	5. Chapter 5 Talking With Draco

**Hello all! I'm back again with the next chapter of, "The Magical Storm"!!!! Lol, it's starting to get good and juicy eh? .- Just to clear up a few more things. Someone asked why doesn't Hermione just use her time turner. You should remember, darling, it's a magical storm, so the magic is knocked out. Time travel (well at least in this story) is considered magic. Also, Crabbe and Goyle were the last ones to make it inside before the doors closed, stranding Hermione and Draco outside. And for the final time, this IS a Draco/Hermione story! Okies, have fun reading and please review when you're done!**

Chapter 5  
  
"What now?" Draco asked.  
  
"Now...we wait," Hermione said, rubbing her shoulders as she started blankly into the fire.  
  
'Well, at least we have a fire going,' Hermione thought to herself.  
  
On the other side of the fire, Draco was looking at the rag on his hand. He felt it had stopped bleeding, but it still stung a bit. He moved it around and gripped his palm, rating the pain. Luckily for him, he had a high pain tolerance, due to years of...  
  
-GRUMBLE-  
  
"Was that _you_, Granger?" Draco asked in disbelief. Hermione turned away and clutched her stomach. She couldn't help it if she was hungry, could she?  
  
"Getting a little hungry?" Draco asked.  
  
"Maybe," Hermione mumbled.  
  
"Me too. But I don't think any of the plants in here are edible, are they?" he mused out loud. Hermione kept here eyes to the floor and shook her head in response.  
  
"Any idea where the nearest food source is?"  
  
"Umm...give me a minute to think," Hermione said, a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder resonating throughout the green house.  
  
Giving herself a mental tour of the grounds Hermione looked all around for food. There was obviously food in the kitchens, but the doors were locked, so there goes that idea. There wasn't anything in any of the green houses besides flowers and mandrakes and such. The Forbidden Forest would be far too dangerous to search at this point in time. But what about...  
  
"Hagrid's hut!" Hermione burst out.  
  
"I thought it was locked," Draco said.  
  
"It is! But he has a vegetable patch. I _know_ I saw some watermelon there earlier today!" Hermione explained.  
  
"Ahh. Well I suppose I should go get it then, hmm?" Draco said seriously. Hermione looked up at him. It was brave of him to offer to go out in the middle of the storm to get food.  
  
"Want me to come with you?" Hermione offered, meekly looking up at him. He smirked down at her.  
  
"I don't need any help," the ever-confident Draco said.  
  
He stood up and neared the door. He opened it a little, the wind taking its chance to rush in and blow his bangs about his face. But instead of going out, he hesitated and looked back.  
  
"If I don't come back in 10 minutes...come get me," he said before disappearing into storm  
.  
'I will...' Hermione thought.  
  
Hermione sat back down in front of the fire. She sighed and nudged another table leg into the fire, stirring up the flames slowly but surely. Now she had to think again.  
  
'Draco is getting the watermelon(s) but how will we cut it?' Hermione thought looking around her knees which she had tucked to her chest. Her eyes landed on the two trowels which laid about 3 feet away. She reached out for them and picked the closest one up. The side of the tip was red with Draco's blood. Hermione shuddered and dropped it.  
  
"I'll just go put the other one out in the rain to clean it," Hermione said aloud to no one in particular as she forced her knees to pick herself up once more. She pushed the door open gently and looked up at the sky, blinking each time a rain drop fell in the vicinity of her eyes. Dark clouds of grey and black stirred above angrily. Another crack of lightning made Hermione look away.  
  
Depositing the trowel quickly on the ground near the door, she quickly closed it behind her. The fire she and Draco had created wasn't much, but at least it kept her a little bit warm. Hermione walked over to the Abyssinian Shrivelfig and fingered its leaves lightly. She wasn't afraid of this plant because she knew it couldn't try to kill her, even if it wanted to.  
  
Idly pacing about, she glanced at her time turner. It was times like these she wished at least her Time turner was working. Then she could have turned back time, and made sure Fang was following them in the first place, and not sleeping next to the watermelon. She turned the amulet over in her hands and stared at the front of it. She couldn't be quite sure, but Draco had been gone for a little over 5 minutes.  
  
'Surely he's alright?' Hermione thought fearfully.  
  
'Of course he is you dolt. He's a Malfoy. Self-centered as he may be, he's still a very strong, able-bodied young man. And just why do you care so much about his wellbeing anyways?' the voice in the back of her head quipped.  
  
'I'm not sure. Possibly because he's my only hope of surviving tonight?'  
  
'Oh come off it. You know you're not in any real danger now that you're in the greenhouse. The storm couldn't last _that_ long,'  
  
'Or could it?'  
  
'Quit changing the subject! Do you like Draco or not?'  
  
'...I don't know,'  
  
'That means yes!'  
  
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Hermione yelled out loud. Was she losing her sanity? After all, she did just have an argument in her head...  
  
"I'm not crazy," Hermione reassured herself as she looked back down at her time turner. Three minutes had passed since she last checked. The time count was now around 8 minutes.  
  
"Hurry up Draco," Hermione whispered as she peered out into the darkness. Yet another crash of thunder and lightning- but wait! Hermione saw something, or rather, someone! She opened the door and called out to him.  
  
"Draco!" she yelled as she waved her arms. She stool stood inside the doorframe, trying to stay as dry as possible. Draco trudged along with his hair plastered to his face, small rivulets of rainwater ran down his face, dropping off of his chin. As he walked closer she could see he had a watermelon under each arm, and he was shaking visibly.  
  
Goosebumps appeared on her own arms and legs as she stood in the doorway. The wind swept past her and toyed with the flames. Hermione looked behind her and saw this. Her eyes grew wide, but then returned to normal when the wind died down temporarily.  
  
The sound of crunching gravel drew nearer, and Hermione held the door open as Draco walked in with the watermelons. Hermione grabbed the trowel out of the rain and pulled it back inside the glass door and closed the door securely behind her.  
  
Draco sat down shivering with a watermelon on either side of him. His white shirt was sticking to his chest, and you could see a white undershirt he had on underneath. His pants too clung to his body and gave him a wet, but well-muscled look.  
  
"You alright?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah...just cold," Draco muttered. He was shaking quite hard, and he had become pale around the cheeks and his lips trembled when he spoke. Hermione knelt down and put a hand to his face.  
  
"You're ice cold," she frowned. Draco didn't say anything.  
  
"OK Draco, I have an idea. Just don't think I'm doing it for any other reason than to get you warm again, alright?" Hermione said. Draco nodded.  
  
Slowly Hermione lifted her left leg over his thighs, so she was straddling him. She blushed with each movement she made, and Draco just stayed still and watched. Hermione slowly laid herself down on top of him and bent her arms so that she now gripped his arms. She stopped squirming and looked up at Draco.  
  
Through Hermione's red blush Draco saw her chocolate eyes full of goodness and hope looking up at him. He smiled softly down at her as she started rubbing his arms, trying to get some heat from the friction. Satisfied with what she was doing, Hermione lowered her head to his chest, that way she wasn't straining it to keep it up. She could hear his heartbeat, thorough and unfailing. It wasn't racing, but it was definitely faster than normal.  
  
"So umm...what now?" Hermione asked.  
  
"How bout we just talk?" Draco said. Hermione nodded against his chest, hoping he'd say more. It felt funny, but in a good way, because when he talked she could hear his voice resonating and vibrating or something in his chest. She wasn't sure how to describe it, but she liked it.  
  
"So tell me about yourself," Hermione suggested.  
  
"You first," Draco insisted, already feeling warmer under her touch.  
  
"Well...I was born September 19th. I'm the daughter of two muggle dentists. My favorite class is Aritmancy. My favorite professor is Professor McGonagall...What?" Hermione stopped short, feeling Draco's suppressed mirth building up underneath her.  
  
"I meant more personal stuff," Draco grinned.  
  
"Oh...well, if anything it's your turn now," Hermione said,  
  
"Alright. I was born in 1980, and that's all you need to know about that. I'm the proud heir and son to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. I don't really have a favorite class or professor. All classes bore me unless it's lunch or if Potter or Weasel King is being made fun of," Draco said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. Hermione noted the hostility in his tone while talking about his parents and her friends, so she skipped asking him why he hated Harry and Ron so much.  
  
"That's nice," Hermione said automatically. Draco raised an eyebrow at the ceiling.  
  
"So...what's going on with you and Potter? Or you and the Weasel King? You 'with' any of them?" Draco asked.  
  
"Oh no. I don't fancy Ron and Harry..well, at least as more than friends. They're more like my brothers than anything,"  
  
"If Weasley heard that, I'd think you'd have broken his heart,"  
  
"Preposterous. Ron doesn't like me like that,"  
  
"Or does he? I've watched him try to put the moves on you,"  
  
"Ron? Have moves?" Hermione couldn't help but snort, her chest lurching against his. The muscles in his abdomen tightened in response.  
  
"So he hasn't tried to kiss you?"  
  
"Nope. No one has,"  
  
"You mean you're 14 and you haven't kissed anyone yet?"  
  
"So what? I'm just waiting for the right guy! What about you hot- shot?"  
  
"Yeah, I've had a few kisses,"  
  
"Who was your first one?"  
  
"Pansy Parkinson. In our third year, she kissed me when I was in the hospital wing recovering from the hippogriff incident," Draco said.  
  
"So technically you didn't kiss _her_, _she_ kissed _you_!"  
  
"A mere technicality. The point is, I still got a kiss,"  
  
"You asked me about Harry and Ron, so it's only fair of me to ask. Is there anything going on with you and Pansy?"  
  
"Me? And her? No way. She's...too different. She's much too wild and flirtatious. I've heard some pretty nasty rumors about her and Blaise Zabini as well. Definitely not sexy, if you ask me,"  
  
"I thought guys liked an easy girl?"  
  
"Not this one. I have pride and an image to uphold," Draco explained. Hermione smiled into his chest, although she wasn't sure why.  
  
"Not to mention, I like a challenge," Draco mumbled. His breath traveled down his chest and blew gently into Hermione's ear, making her squirm a little. Just then, Draco's stomach growled loudly.  
  
"Guess it's time to eat," he said, sitting up. Hermione rolled off of him and pushed her skirt down around her.  
  
"Draco?" Hermione said hesitantly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Um...Just be careful this time," Hermione said looking down.  
  
"Alright," Draco agreed, resting his hand on watermelon.   
  
**Aww, how cute...Suggestions, comments, criticism? Review and tell me all about it! Thanks for reading this far too! The more reviews I get the more stuff I write, so it's all about you the reader! lol aren't you the lucky one. I'm the one staying up till the very wee hours of the morn writing this! lol. Okies, I'll try to post the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow. So, ciao for now!**   
  
**PS- Sorry it's not as long as some of the others, but I'm working on it!  
  
-Love-** The English-Foxlette 


	6. Chapter 6 The Other Sides of Draco

**Haha! I told you I'd get another chapter in tonight! Ok well for all those who didn't read the bolded author notes on the head of "The Masquerade", Chapter 9...well...its pretty much over. I'm contemplating some sequels, but no guarantees. I _might_ do another chapter on it, just to wrap things up, but it's not that likely. Anyways, here's chapter six!**  
  
Chapter 6 The other sides of Draco Malfoy  
  
"Um...Just be careful this time," Hermione said looking down.  
  
"Alright," Draco agreed, resting his hand on watermelon. He gave her a reassuring look as he held the trowel up high. The firelight flickered across his features and he looked really stoic as he concentrated on the large melon below him.  
  
With a clean plunge, Draco penetrated the thick outer layer. Watery pink juice gushed out, but only for a second. Forcing the trowel down, he cut a thin uneven line through the melon. He rotated it slowly and deftly, slicing as he went. After a few quick movements, the melon was sliced in half, revealing it's juicy light red core. Draco smiled a tiny smile at his accomplishments, but it didn't last long.  
  
With another strike, in went the trowel into the thick green peel. He gripped the end of the melon with one hand, cutting off thick wedges as he went. Hermione decided to be helpful and as each circular slab was presented to her, she cut it into tiny bite sized pieces.  
  
When Draco felt there was a sufficient amount of watermelon cut up he turned to Hermione. At the moment, said witch was diligently severing bits and pieces. Draco himself picked up a wedge and copied Hermione's movements verbatim. After going through 6 round wedges in silence (save the rain) a small pile of 'bleeding' fruit chunks lay waiting.  
  
Hermione lay on her side, propped up by her elbow as Draco sat cross- legged opposite her. She raised her cinnamon-cream colored hand with a dripping piece of fruit in it.  
  
"To us," she said quietly.  
  
"To us," Draco repeated, taking a bite out of the fleshy fruit. Droplets of the juice streamed out of his mouth and ran down his chin and neck. Draco jumped at the intrusion of the liquid into his shirt. Hermione giggled at the sight, taking a bite into her own piece. Placing her fingertips to her lips, she slowly removed a large black seed, and flicked it into the fire.  
  
"Eh, it's bound to happen anyways," said Draco of the dripping juice as he shoved a larger piece into his mouth. He chewed it thoughtfully, before spitting out a seed which missed the fire completely, landing noiselessly near Hermione's elbow.  
  
"Watch it!" Hermione warned. Draco just grinned toothily. Hermione narrowed her eyes and grabbed another piece of fruit. The fruit seemed to melt in her mouth, save for the hard seeds that came to rest on her tongue. Using her tongue to force the seeds to the front of her mouth, she pursed her lips and blew them out.  
  
A black seed landed just in front of the boy. He met her eyes and cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"So this is how it is, is it?" Draco said silkily.  
  
"I suppose so," Hermione fired back.  
  
"Well then...This means WAR!" he cried, grabbing a juicy handful of watermelon and throwing it at her. Hermione seemed to freeze in shock for a moment. Her hands were in a panicked position in the air, her eyes were closed tightly, and her mouth was open. Ever so slowly, she wiped the red, gushy substance from her face and flicked it off her fingers. She looked over to Malfoy who was smirking evilly, and gave him a challenging stare.  
  
Moving quickly she grabbed two handfuls and chucked them at Draco. His white shirt now spattered pink from the juices.  
  
"That's it, Granger!" he yelled in mock fury.  
  
They both dove towards the pile of watermelon and chucked it at each other blindly. Through the melon swinging the two exchanged threats and commands.  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
"Not until you stop!"  
  
"But you started it!"  
  
"I was only blowing the seeds out of my mouth! Excuse me for not removing them one by one Miss Prim and Proper!"  
  
"What did you call me?" Hermione laughed, landing a chunk on his left cheek.  
  
"You heard me!" Draco yelled back, his chunk landing on Hermione's skirt.  
  
"Oh!! Eat watermelon Ferret-boy!" Hermione shrieked lunging towards Draco and smushing the substance over his lips. Draco sputtered for a minute before grabbing Hermione's wrist mid-throw.  
  
"Ferret-boy?!" Draco said, snatching the fruit from her hands and cramming it over the girl's mouth.  
  
"Oh you've asked for it now!"  
  
"You're in no position to threaten me, Granger!"  
  
Two hands searched the ground blindly, as their owners stared each other down through the pink slush. When nothing met their grasp, they both turned and looked. Their little stash of cut up watermelon had been depleted.  
  
"You're lucky that we ran out of Watermelon, or you would have been cleaning out of your hair weeks from now," Draco smirked.  
  
"Funny, I was about to say the same to you!" Hermione stressed the last word as she pounced on Draco and tried to tickle him. A small amount of laughter escaped his lips, but he wasn't going to give up that easily. Bucking his hips and twisting his torso in a synchronized movement, Draco flipped himself over, holding onto Hermione's wrists, so that now the petite brunette was pinned underneath him.  
  
"Look who has the upper hand now, Granger," Draco panted, slowly straddling her waist.  
  
"What're you going to do to me?" Hermione asked as Draco switched both wrists under one of his own. He raised the other to hold his chin as he looked away in mock thoughtfulness.  
  
"Well first, I'm going to tickle you senseless, then I'm not quite sure what I'll do with you,"  
  
"Who says I'm ticklish, Ferret-boy," Hermione asked, egging him on.  
  
"Well let's just see if you are, first," Draco proposed.  
  
He quickly lowered his hand to her abdomen and stretched and scurried his long, lanky finger across her shirt-covered abdomen. Hermione bit her lip to try to control herself, but was soon elicited bouts of laughter from her slender frame.  
  
"Stop! Hahaha! Draco! Hahahaha! Please! Hahahah! I give up!" Hermione cried, writhing underneath the ruthless blonde.  
  
"Say 'Draco Malfoy is the King!" Draco demanded as his fingers flew up and down her sides.  
  
"Hahaha! Never! Hahahahah!" Hermione screamed.  
  
"Say it! Or else I won't stop!"  
  
"Fine! Hahaha! Draco Malf-Hahahah! –Oy is the, hahah! Is the best!" Hermione managed to scream out.  
  
"Ok! I said it! Now stop!" Hermione demanded. Pretty soon his cool fingers left her heated skin and his grip on her wrists loosened. He collapsed down next to her, breathing quickly. Hermione rolled over on top of him, so that his head rested on his chest, and panted heavily.  
  
"That...was so...uncool," Hermione gasped  
  
"It was fun for me," Draco breathed.  
  
"Oh shut up," said Hermione as she smacked him lightly on the outside of his thigh.  
  
The two 16 year olds laid there for quite a while, just panting, trying to catch their breath again.  
  
"So...since dinner is temporarily ruined, shall we continue our talks?" Hermione mumbled quietly, turning her head so that her face was slightly buried in his shirt and slightly facing Draco's face.  
  
"Sure," Draco sighed."  
  
"Alright...Umm...Have you ever stolen anything?" Hermione asked.  
  
"You mean besides countless girls' hearts?" Draco countered. Hermione snorted.  
  
"But no, no I haven't,"  
  
"Daddy dearest has given you all you ever needed, hmm?" Hermione mused, closing her eyes. Draco didn't answer, and she could feel him draw in a breath – but not let it out.  
  
"Draco?" She said, opening up one eye to look at him. His icy stare was captivated by the fire in front of them. He didn't move, and she could see the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching.  
  
"If anything, it was my mother who babied me. My father held – no...my father holds no compassion towards me at all," Draco said, his pale features still impassive.  
  
"Surely you can't be right. He must have done or said something nice to you at least once in your life," Hermione suggested.  
  
"Not once...well, at least not as long as I've been able to remember. Ever since I was little, if I ever acted out of line, he would scold me and beat me,"  
  
Hermione watched carefully as he reached out and added the seat of a chair into the smoldering pile. He turned to look at her, his eyes brimming with emotions. She could see the hurt most of all, though.  
  
"You and Potter and Weasley probably want to know why I'm such a jerk. The truth is, it's been drilled into me. I used to be a sweet little boy, until Voldemort tried to kill Harry and it backfired. My father was furious that the Dark Lord's rise to power had been significantly delayed. The night it happened, he beat my mother. She confided this all to me one night when I found her bruised and battered, sitting in the attic. When I tried to make friends with a half-blood child who lived two mansions away, my father whipped me. He told me I couldn't fraternize with lower life forms. Ever since then, I've had to act like I was better than everyone else," Draco said, taking in a deep breath.  
  
"During winter break, I left for home with a hopeful heart. I was doing exceptionally well in all my classes, and I proudly carried a note from Snape dictating so. When I arrived my father threw the note into the fire. He told me he knew that Harry Potter, a first year like me, had been made the seeker for Gryffindor. When I told him I had tried out for the team but didn't make it do to my lack of exceptional flying and dodging skills...He ripped the shirt off my back and went after me with a knife. He screamed about letting all the bad blood I had encountered at the school out of my body," Draco said sadly.   
  
He pulled up his shirt, causing Hermione to sit up, and despite the poor lighting, she could see the outlines of a few scars on his sides. She hesitantly held out a finger, and traced a particularly long one down the ridges of two ribs. Draco hissed under the touch.   
  
"I didn't hurt you did I?" Hermione asked worriedly.   
  
"No. You didn't do anything. It's just the memories are what hurt,"   
  
"Oh..." was all Hermione could say as she pulled down his undershirt and his white button up shirt over his exposed stomach. After she had corrected his shirt, she laid back down on his chest and waited quietly for him to finish the tale.   
  
"The scars never completely healed, because I was too young then to know what spells to use. I showed my mother, who dropped her cup of tea when she saw me. She hurriedly started healing up my numerous wounds, but wasn't able to finish. My father stormed in and grabbed her wrist, holding her wand up to the chandelier. With his other hand he beat her upside the head. He had shoved me down as he made his way over to my mother. Quietly I backed out of the kitchen while my mother was beaten,"   
  
"Oh God, Draco. Why didn't you tell anyone?"   
  
"My father threatened me. But now that he is on the run from the ministry of magic for being a Death Eater, it's been a lot safer to talk about these things. Heh, you're the first person I've told. Not even Crabbe and Goyle know," Draco said.   
  
Hermione's heart and mind raced. This boy, no, this man in front of her, whom she had thought she had hated deeply, had undergone through so much ever since he was born. Now, he felt safe enough to divulge these secrets to the one he had often teased and called nasty names. Hermione's heart swelled at the fact that he felt comfortable to talk about this with her.   
  
"I'm sorry Draco. About everything. Having to deal with your father at home, and then having to compete with Harry, Ron, and I at school. I'm sorry...I'm so, so sorry," Hermione said wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.   
  
To her half-surprise, Draco hugged back, holding her arms and patting her back softly. "It's alright. Everything's starting to go uphill now that father's gone," Draco said.

"I suppose you probably want to change the subject," Hermione laughed as she rubbed any traces of tears from her eyes.   
  
"That sounds good. But I guess it's my turn to ask a question. Hmm...Are you still a virgin?" Hermione gazed at him in shock and embarrassment.   
  
"OK, I haven't even had a first kiss. What makes you think I've...done it?" Hermione sputtered.   
  
"Just a question," Draco said defensively.   
  
"Hmph. What about you Mr. Big-Shot?"   
  
"What, have you tired of the Ferret-boy nickname already? Haha. But yeah, I'm still a virgin too," he replied.   
  
"Alright. Do you believe in love at first sight?"   
  
"Maybe..."   
  
**Oh ho ho! What will happen next? lol does anyone find it odd that i end nearly every chapter like that? lol maybe its just me. Alright alright, keep reading if you want more fluff n shtuff. reviews and criticism are always helpful too! Okies, ciao for now! and until next time! love, English Foxlette**


	7. Chapter 7 The Perfect Moment

**Huzzah! Here's chapter 7! Also, I'd like to point out that I made an error. The gang is all 16, and in their 6th years. Sorry if I confused anyone!**  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"Alright. Do you believe in love at first sight?"  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
"Maybe? How can you maybe believe in love at first sight?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm still debating whether or not I believe in it," Draco said calmly.  
  
"What about you? Do you believe in love at first sight?" Draco said, turning the question back at Hermione.  
  
"Umm. Yes, yes I do believe in love at first sight," Hermione said.  
  
"My turn to ask?"  
  
"Yup,"  
  
"Ok. What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done or that's happened to you?"  
  
"Oh...um...Well, Ron, Harry and I were walking back from Hagrid's, and we chose to walk down by the lake. The boys noticed a tree had been felled and was jutting out onto the water, kind of like a pier. So they raced down on to the edge to see what they could see in the water. Not wanting to be left out I slowly followed them along the trunk of the tree. I've never been one  
for balance, so when I was halfway out, I tripped on a tree branch and fell in the water. It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't ripped part of my skirt. When Ron and Harry pulled me out of the freezing lake, I was cold, wet, and my skirt was falling off," Hermione said, blushing at the memory.  
  
"Haha, that's bad, but not as bad as what happened to me. One day in our second year, I had forgotten to button up my fly. Meanwhile Pansy Parkinson claimed she had lost an expensive earring and was crawling around under our desk. Professor Flitwick demanded what Pansy was doing, and her head peered out from under the desk, right near my chair. It was then the professor noted that my fly was wide open. Flitwick had thought Pansy was trying to please me!"  
  
"Hahah! That is sooo gross!" Hermione commented.  
  
"Quiet skirt-ripper,"  
  
"You be quiet ferret-boy,"  
  
"Isn't it your turn to ask a question now, skirt-ripper?"  
  
"Humph. Don't call me that?"  
  
"Why not, skirt-ripper? Draco said smirking.  
  
"At least Pansy Parkinson didn't try to please me!"  
  
"It was a misunderstanding!"  
  
"Sure ferret,"  
  
"You asked for it, Granger," Draco growled out before tickling her.  
  
"No! Hahah! Not again!" Hermione howled she said as she rolled off of him, nearer towards to fire.  
  
"Careful Granger, you're getting too close to the fire," he said maliciously as he tickled her ribcage.  
  
"Hahah! Please! Draco! Stop! Hahahah!" Hermione said as she began rolling back towards Malfoy. She kept rolling until she rolled completely over his arm and was lying on top of him.  
  
"Don't! Hahahah! Don't make me hurt you! Hahah!" she said, while trying to hold his arms off.  
  
"I thought we went over this. You're in no position to threaten me," Hermione, determined not to give up this time, brought her knee to Draco's side. She arched her back away from him as she brought her left leg on Draco's other side. Draco was soon straddled beneath the muggle-born witch.  
  
"My, my Granger. This is, what, the second time tonight you've straddled me? If I didn't know better, I'd say you liked me,"  
  
"Cram it Ferret!" Hermione laughed as she started to raise a knee up. Draco realizing what she could do with that knee when he was in such a vulnerable position, shot out his right hand, and grabbed the back of her left thigh, holding her down. Hermione froze at the movement. Her face couldn't register the shock she felt as Draco's warm hand had settled on the middle of her left thigh.  
  
"What're you doing Ferret?" Hermione glared down at him, catching her breath. Draco's other hand reached behind his head to act like a pillow.  
  
"Just making sure you don't do something you and I will both regret,"  
  
"And just why would I regret kneeing you in the balls?" Hermione aid, internally surprised she had just said 'balls'.  
  
'Remind me to never say that again,' she said in her head.  
  
'You got it,' the voice answered.  
  
"Because then I'll be really angry, and trust me, you don't want to mess with an angry Slytherin. And you especially don't want to mess with that Slytherin if he is a Malfoy," Draco said, staring up at the flushed girl above him.  
  
"Humph," huffed Hermione as she got off her knees and sat down on his upper thighs. Draco bit his lip to fight back a groan. She was too close to somewhere she shouldn't be.  
  
"So...Have you ever been in love?" Hermione asked, the blush starting to die from her cheeks.  
  
"I think so...You?" Hermione eyed him, but decided not to push the question.  
  
"Same. It's kind of hard to tell. Half of me thinks I am in love, the other half says I'm not,"  
  
"So which side are you going to listen to?" Draco asked, idly blowing his bangs out of his face.  
  
"I don't know yet. I guess I'm waiting for him to make the first move," Hermione blushed.  
  
'You do realize he might suspect you like him,' the voice in her head said calmly to her.  
  
'Yeah I know. But first of all, do I like him?' Hermione thought, while she stared down into the silver-blue orbs of Draco's eyes.  
  
'I think you do. We both know you're thinking of how cute he is. And face it; you've grown a lot closer to him tonight. He confided in you what no one else knows about him,'  
  
'So? He might have just needed to let it out, and I was the first person to ask!'  
  
'Sure. Then why has he been so flirtatious. Have you even noticed his hand hasn't let your thigh?!' the voice questioned loudly. The inner-voice was right; his hand was still there...  
  
"So...What are you afraid of?" Draco asked, breaking Hermione's internal war.  
  
"Oh. I'm afraid of getting hurt, or seeing anyone else get hurt. But I think I'm most afraid of failing at life. Being alone, not doing what I want to do, not being accepted," Hermione said, seemingly suddenly fascinated with the ground beside her. Draco kept looking in her eyes. She  
was being truthful.  
  
'So this is the real Hermione Granger. No book smarts, friends, or snappy comebacks. This is her being vulnerable and innocent. She's so beau-'  
  
'STOP! You were about to say the mudblood was beautiful!'  
  
'So, she is. Besides, I feel we've grown a lot closer tonight. She's been respectful and has listened to me whine. Plus I can't help it...'  
  
'Bah. You really are a ferret. But she is kind of cute,'  
  
'Told you,'  
  
'Shut up, you,'  
  
'Hah, you just told yourself to shut up!'  
  
'...You'll pay for that later,'  
  
"What about you? What is your greatest fear?" Hermione said.  
  
"Well, I'm terrified of spiders and just insects. They're so disgusting! Also...I'm scared that I won't be good enough in my parents' eyes. Sure, I hate my father, but that doesn't mean I don't have family pride. I'm scared of what the outcomes of my decision will bring..." Draco said, staring back into the fire, purposely ignoring Hermione's inquisitive gaze.  
  
"What decision?"  
  
"Hah. You're probably not going to believe this...Against my father's wishes, I'm not going to be a Death Eater," he said, smirking at the blaze. He twitched his thumb back and forth on Hermione's thigh. But his touch failed to catch her attention.  
  
"You? You're not becoming a Death Eater? But...not that I'm unhappy, I mean that's great! But why aren't you becoming one?"  
  
"I told you earlier tonight. I'm my own man, I do what I want. I'm not as intolerant as my father is. Why else do you think I've refrained from calling you, um, that name you hate? No one's perfect. It doesn't matter about the person's blood status. All that matters is what is in their heart and the decisions they make,"  
  
Hermione gaped at him. Draco Malfoy...just made a short beautiful speech about intolerance. It was informative and answered Hermione's question, while at the same time...being slightly romantic.  
  
"Draco Malfoy – waxing poetic," Hermione laughed.  
  
"Eh, what can I say?" Draco shrugged.  
  
An odd silence followed as the two occasionally met each others gaze.  
  
'Think, Draco, think! Silent pauses = bad!' his mind yelled.  
  
"So...you said you're 16, and you've never had a first kiss?"  
  
"Yeah. I've just been waiting for the right guy, and for the perfect moment," Hermione said, looking away towards the window. The rain had lightened up a bit, but was still coming down in sheets.  
  
"Hermione..." Draco said quietly, putting his right hand on her cheek. Hermione snapped back towards him, and looked at him funny. He propped himself up on his left hand, and pulled her face close to his.  
  
"Tell me if you don't want to," Draco whispered. His breath was hot on her face.  
  
"I want to..." Hermione whispered, closing her eyes as he leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly against hers.  
  
Hermione's world was on fire. Her lips against his warm, soft, pink ones felt fantastic! He cradled her cheek in the palm of her hand, while Hermione's own hands wander. One hand came to rest on his chest, the other to the back of his neck, pushing him a little harder into the kiss.  
  
Draco meanwhile was in pure bliss. Her lips felt so good against his; calm, warm, and patient. Her kiss was much unlike Pansy Parkinson's, which was too hot, too fast, and too forceful. Hermione's was perfect.  
  
After around ten seconds, their lips parted ways. Hermione panted softly and looked into his eyes. Draco did the same thing, but cracked a smirk.  
  
"How was that?"  
  
"Perfect," Hermione said, eyelashes fluttering. Draco smirked again.  
  
"I know, I'm good," Draco bragged, leaning back and putting both hands behind his head.  
  
"Hah! Very funny!" Hermione said, smacking him lightly on the chest.  
  
'Ooh, nice abs Drakie!' Hermione thought as her finger twitched across the cottony material of his school shirt.  
  
'...You just called him Drakie...'  
  
'Shut up!'  
  
'...Just don't let it happen again. It sounds wrong,'  
  
'Deal,' Hermione thought.  
  
"So what's it like to live in the muggle world?" Draco said, watching the rain roll off the pointed roof and falling like waterfalls on the walls outside.  
  
"Boring," Hermione said, removing herself from Draco and laying down next to him.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, for one, everything is hard because everything must be done by hand. Muggles can't just zap food onto their plates. That's why there is much hunger in the world," Hermione said sadly.  
  
"Surely it isn't all bad,"  
  
"You're right. When you're a muggle, everything in nature seems so pure and beautiful. Not that I really mind, but magical creatures are so much different. Don't get me wrong, there are some very dangerous animals in the muggle world, but magical creatures are a different kind of  
dangerous," Hermione said, joining him at staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Oh, I see,"  
  
"You should really get out more often. Like spend the summer with someone in the muggle world,"  
  
"With you?"  
  
"Well I don't know about that one. Parents might not approve of a boy spending the summer there...but I truly think you'd like it. It might seem a little primitive, but then again, it's always good to take a break!"  
  
"I suppose you're right,"  
  
Hermione nodded, and idly fingered her necklace. Ooh, speaking of the necklace...  
  
'I wonder what time it is...' Hermione said, craning her neck to read the face of it.  
  
"Wow, we've only been in here three hours," Hermione commented.  
  
"Really? And just how long do these storms last again?"  
  
"Anywhere from 4-11 hours,"  
  
Draco groaned loudly. He didn't mind spending that much time with Hermione, but pretty soon, they'd run out of food, not to mention what'll happen when 'nature calls.' That would be a disaster.  
  
'Did he just groan? Maybe he doesn't want to spend all this time with me. Maybe I'm just bothering him,' thought Hermione as she looked at his lithe form sadly.  
  
Feeling a certain girl's gaze on him, Draco turned and saw Hermione looking at his pant-leg sadly.  
  
'What's up with her? She was happy a minute ago,'  
  
"You alright?" Draco asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"Fine," she said curtly.  
  
'Women!' Draco thought in exasperation, turning his attention back towards the sky.  
  
Hermione felt restless after he returned his gaze back to the roof. She got up and grabbed what had once been a wrung from a stool and bent down, hugging her knees to her chest. She wasn't worried about Draco seeing anything, because a) he wasn't looking, and b) her shins were covering everything. In deep concentration she jabbed the fire, stirring up the embers. With a hard jab she forced the wrung into the center of the fire, between some logs.  
  
Draco was watching out of the corner of his eye.  
  
'OK, really, what is with her? She looks like she's ready to kill someone!'  
  
'Try talking to her,'  
  
'I did! She said she was fine!'  
  
'And you believed her. She's obviously not fine,'  
  
'Fine! I'll try again,' Draco thought, pushing himself up to a sitting position.  
  
"Hey, Hermione, you sure you're alright?"  
  
'You just called her Hermione,'  
  
'So, it's her name isn't it?'  
  
'Me thinks you're beginning the like her,'  
  
'Me thinks you should shut up!' Draco yelled in his head. That annoying voice just wouldn't keep his mouth shut.  
  
Hermione looked up from the fire.  
  
"I told you, I'm fine! What about you? Getting restless at the fact that you might have to spend possibly 8 more hours stuck in here with me?!" Hermione said angrily, rising as she did so.  
  
"What gave you that idea?"  
  
"You groaned out loud when I told you we might be stuck in here for another 8 hours; that these storms can go on for 11 hours at a time. Or did you already forget, Ferret?" Hermione demanded.   
  
Draco rose to stand a full 6 inches taller than the girl, a grim expression on his face. He took a few steps forward, and looked Hermione in the eye. Her eyes flashed with retaliatory intentions. He gripped her arms and looked from eye to eye.  
  
"Listen and listen good. I did not groan because I didn't want to be stuck in here with you. I groaned because...well...things might get a little embarrassing 8 hours from now,"  
  
"What do you mean, embarrassing?" Hermione eyed him quizzically.  
  
"Surprised you haven't thought of it yet. What happens when one of us has to go to the bathroom?" Draco said.  
  
Hermione went stiff in his arms.  
  
'Oh God he's right! That could be bad. VERY bad,' she thought, a light pink blush creeping over her face.  
  
'See? You're just looking for a reason to dislike him. And you got mad when you couldn't find a good enough one,"  
  
"Hermione...it's not that I don't want to spend time with you. I only groaned because this could get very embarrassing, and I'd like to spare us both. OK?"  
  
"..Alright..." Hermione mumbled dumbly, staring at a button on his shirt.  
  
"Good," he said, pulling her forward into a warm embrace. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist, and she brought hers up to lay them on his back. They stayed this way for about a minute, breathing in synchronization, before separating.  
  
"So, what do you want to talk about next?" Draco grinned. Hermione just rolled her eyes and laughed.  
  
**Hope you enjoyed it! And remember, I'm leaving bright and early Thursday morning, so don't expect any fanfic additions for the next 17 days. I'll try to get access to a computer in Maui, but I don't know if I'll be successful. But I'll try my hardest to wrap things up before I go. So yeah, once again, sorry to anyone i confused with the ages! So yeah, until next time!  
  
PS-To those who thinks its mean that i've been leaving on cliffies, well, it would be meaner if i didn't continue the fic at all? lol of course i wouldn't do that, but come on, be nice! Tee hee, lots of love to ALL reviewers! Have a nice summer!**


	8. Chapter 8 Epiphany During Passion

**Sorry that this took such an immense time to post. I'm sure all of you have rotten tomatoes at the ready to chuck at me. So i'll just duck behind this upturned table and have a peace messenger hand you the last chapter. But please don't hurt the messenger. He's the only one i got, and they ain't cheap! lol i'm such a dork, but anyways, i don't own HP or the characters and uh...Here's chapter 8!  
**  
Chapter 8  
  
"So, what do you want to talk about next?" Draco grinned. Hermione just rolled her eyes and laughed. Not wanting to go too weak in the knees and fall over from all this mushy stuff, she sat down, and rolled onto her stomach.  
  
"You know, I never would have thought you could be such an interesting person," Hermione commented, propping herself up on her elbows. She smiled sweetly and shifted a bit more so she was leaning on her chin. Draco too sat down, one leg bent on the ground, the other knee bent so Draco could lean on it.  
  
'He looks like a model,' Hermione drooled inwardly.  
  
'Ooh...you got that right,' her inner voice agreed.  
  
The pair sat in silence for a few moments, just reveling in each others' company. They looked into each others eyes, the firelight dancing around the room, stirring the shadows around them.  
  
'Why aren't you saying anything?' Draco's panicked inner voice questioned.  
  
'I don't know what to say!' Draco admitted.  
  
'Think about what she likes and talk about that!'  
  
'OK...ummm...Books! Yes! She likes books!'  
  
"So what kinds of books do you like to read?" Draco asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Oh umm...I like biographies and historical fiction and nonfiction. Haha, I hate to say it but I'm a sucker for romance novels," Hermione admitted, a slight blush creeping across her cheeks. (A/N: for the billionth time --)  
  
"Romance novels hmm? What kind?" Draco asked, smirking slightly. It was common knowledge that there were only two kinds of romance novels: Mushy poorly written crap, and the ones that were decently written and contained at least two sex scenes.  
  
"Umm, you know. Just the standard romance novels," Hermione stuttered.  
  
"I think you're lying to me," Draco said, moving closer to her. He was now on all fours, slowly making his way over to her. Hermione gulped.  
  
"What? You think I read the smutty romance novels?" Hermione asked defensively, now sitting upright.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," he said. The rain fell softly above and splattered down on the glass roof, but neither one noticed. All attention was on each other.  
  
"And what makes you think that?"  
  
"You don't seem like the kind of person to read just the mushy, angsty novels. I bet you like reading about the chase, and what happens when the two lovers get all hot and heavy," Draco said seductively. He was now almost on top of Hermione, his face inches away.  
  
Hermione's breathing picked up. He looked so cute and sexy right now. She wanted to do the stuff she had read about in the novels. But how could she?  
  
"So what if I do read that kind of stuff? What's it to you?" she said. Draco's eyes narrowed, and before Hermione knew what hit her, she was pinned under her "enemy." Hermione couldn't do anything but breathe as Draco snuggled himself around her, his head coming to rest in the crook of her shoulder.  
  
"I think it would be kind of sexy if you read stuff like that," Draco purred into her neck. His hot breath on her skin made Hermione's breathing turn into a pant. She felt a feeling she couldn't recognize, and it felt like her lower abdomen was starting to pool with warmth. She closed her eyes, just letting the weight of his body press tightly against her. Her breasts were squished against his chest and she shuddered when she felt something warm and wet on her neck.  
  
While Hermione was busy indulging her senses, Draco had taken it upon himself to lick Hermione's neck before pausing to kiss it.  
  
Hermione's mind coursed with thoughts while her stomach did somersaults again and again.  
  
'What's going to happen? What is he going to do? What am I going to do? Is anyone going to catch us? I think I like him...What would happen if we dated? What would Harry and Ron say? What would the school say? What would my parents say? What would his...' Hermione stopped breathing. Draco felt the girl beneath him suddenly tense up. Hesitantly he removed himself from the flesh of the girls neck and looked down into chocolate eyes.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
"Draco, can we talk for a minute?" Hermione said, placing her hands on his chest as if she wanted to push him off. Draco groaned as he rolled off of her.  
  
'Way to be a kill-joy Hermione,' Draco thought.  
  
"I was just thinking..." Hermione drawled, rolling over so that her head was leaning on Draco's chest.  
  
"Yes?" Draco prompted. He tried his best to keep the annoyance out of his voice, but he wasn't quite sure if he had succeeded.  
  
'Is that all she does? Think? I need actions! Not thoughts!' his mind cried.  
  
"I was thinking," Hermione paused to breathe, "About us. I think I like you,"  
  
'Well that's not the understatement of the century,' her mind muttered sarcastically.  
  
'Quiet you! You're ruining my moment!' she hissed back at herself.  
  
'Whatever. But you do realize you just ruined HIS moment, right?'  
  
'......'  
  
"Think? I know I like you," Draco said in a failing attempt at humor.  
  
"Yeah but what about your parents?" Hermione asked, before slapping her hand over her mouth. Draco fell silent. All the lust and passion he had just been feeling, rather, the lust and passion he had left after she said they needed to talk...squashed by her words.  
  
"I'm a muggle-born. They wouldn't exactly take to me as they would to a pureblood," Hermione said sadly.  
  
"I don't care what they say!"  
  
"But I do Draco!" Hermione cried. Draco looked at her in shock. Why did she care what his parents thought?  
  
"Listen Draco. I know you like me, and I like you. I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid of your parents. They'll do bad things to both of us if they find out! I'll be killed and you'll be tortured! I don't want you to get hurt!" Hermione ended her sobbing rave by throwing herself at his chest. His white shirt crumpled beneath her grip.  
  
Draco was speechless. She cared so much about him that he didn't want him to get hurt. His wide eyes softened and a small smile played across his features as he slowly put his arms around her.  
  
"They won't find out," Draco said coolly.  
  
"But what if they do? I don't want to see you hurt! I already told you! I hate seeing anyone get hurt!" Hermione sobbed.  
  
"Shhhh. It'll be alright," Draco said, shushing her rather loud sobs.  
  
But no, Hermione went on crying for quite some time. She had to cry herself out, that was the only way to feel better.   
  
'That's right sweetie. Don't you remember Mum once telling you that tears release stress, making you feel better?'   
  
'Yeah, you're right,' Hermione thought.   
  
'No, we're right,' her inner voice replied warmly.   
  
'Now...are you going to let this ruin what you started?'  
  
'No!'  
  
'Good! Now hurry up and kiss him before he remembers why he doesn't like you!'  
  
So sure enough she stopped crying and looked up at Draco who had held her the whole time, repeating a mantra over and over in his head; 'She's worth it. She's worth everything.'  
  
"Kiss me," Hermione breathed as she craned her neck to kiss the lips above her. Draco couldn't say he wasn't surprised, but after the initial shock had gone away he kissed her back, matching the slow, but smoldering intensity. Once the kiss died down, Draco spoke.   
  
"What was that for?" "Well, if we aren't going to let your parents know about this-us- then why not enjoy the time we have together?" Hermione smiled a small smile, which Draco returned.   
  
"I like the way you think," he said before kissing her more passionately. He could feel the heat of his body rise once again as they started to get into it.  
  
Tongues danced as they wrapped their arms around one another. The rain, which they had mostly tuned out/grown accustomed to, was now falling softer and softer by the minute.  
  
"I think I love you," Hermione said at one of their breaks for air. Draco looked at her. Many emotions were present in his eyes; fear, joy, shock, and most importantly, love and understanding.  
  
'Did she just say..?' Draco's inner voice choked out.  
  
'She loves me?'  
  
'Hah! I told you!'  
  
'What? You never said she loved me!'  
  
'But I was thinking it!'  
  
'Wait, What?! My inner voice can think for itself?!' Draco said, trying not to look shocked.  
  
'I'll explain later, but right now, you better respond! Or else she'll think you don't lover her! And we both know you do!'  
  
'You're right,'  
  
'Duh,'  
  
"I think love you too," Draco said, closing his eyes and holding her tightly to his chest.  
  
"I don't want this to end," Hermione said against his chest. Both noticed the rain was dying down.  
  
"Me neither," Draco answered.  
  
"No one can know about us Draco," Hermione stated.  
  
"We can just act like we did before, and maybe we can think of a way we could work. Until then, we might just have to meet up for an occasional snog," Draco chuckled, winking down at Hermione, who smiled in return.  
  
"We just might have to," Hermione agreed as the rain stopped completely. She looked outside fearfully, and hugged Draco again. He squeezed her back, and placed a tender kiss on her lips.  
  
"Now come on Granger, we gotta go before anyone suspects we did anything. Not like I would want to do anything with a-" Hermione's eyes shot up, looking into Dracos silvery ones deeply.  
  
'Please please please don't revert back to the way you were,' Hermione thought, her heart racing.  
  
'He wouldn't...'  
  
"Not like I would want to do anything with a Gryffindor. All bloody know-it-alls!" He said, winking at Hermione, who just smiled.  
  
"I mean does anyone think that miss primp and proper bookworm Granger did anything with the Slytherin sex god?" Hermione smirked, and raised an eyebrow seductively at Draco.  
  
"Oh shut up Granger, let's go!" Draco said, smacking Hermione on the butt and out the water-streaked glass door.  
  
The sopping ground squished under the two star-crossed lovers feet as they walked hand in hand towards the door into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; one blonde pureblood alongside a muggle-born brunette, neither one knowing what the future would hold for them. But that...is a tale for another time...   
  
**Dang....alright if the wait didn't make you want to kill me I'm sure the ending did. I'm sorrrrry it wasn't long, and you're all gunna write nasty reviews that I ended it too soon, but it's a bad habit of mine! So...sorry in advance (wait a minute..this isn't in advance! Ohhhh no...that just earned me another bad review! ::sobs::) and I hope I didn't dissappoint too much. A sequel might come out, but first I have two new fic ideas in mind. Tee hee. Alright, lots of love to all!**

**-English Foxlette**


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